Jiri Kulich scored in overtime to give the visiting Buffalo Sabres a 3-2 come-from-behind win against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Kulich collected a rebound in the bottom of the right circle and beat a sprawled John Gibson at 4:00 of the extra frame.
Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, Jason Zucker scored and Owen Power logged three assists for the Sabres, who are 6-2-0 in their past eight games. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 22 saves.
Drew Helleson and Isac Lundestrom scored while Gibson made 29 saves for the Ducks, who had their three-game winning streak end.
Trailing 2-0, Buffalo scored twice in 50 seconds late in the second period to pull even.
Tuch deflected Power’s point shot, sending it through Gibson’s pads before it stopped loose in the crease. Lundestrom tried to clear the puck but knocked it off Gibson and into the net.
Zucker then tied it 2-2 with 33 seconds remaining in the period. Power got his stick on a pass attempt by Anaheim’s Sam Colangelo, deflecting it out of the zone for Zucker to collect and break in, slipping a wrist shot five-hole.
The Sabres controlled the play early, outshooting Anaheim 3-0 and holding a 6-0 edge in shot attempts by the four-minute mark.
However, it was the hosts who got on the board first, connecting on their first shot on goal.
Trevor Zegras took a pass from the neutral zone to above the right circle, holding onto the puck and waiting before feeding Helleson above the slot for a snap shot that beat a screened Luukkonen glove side at 4:02 for a 1-0 lead.
It was a slow start to the second period for both sides, with the Ducks putting up just two shots through the first 10 minutes, while the Sabres didn’t get their first shot on goal until there was 9:27 remaining.
Lundestrom made it 2-0 seconds after a Ducks power play expired, tipping Ross Johnston’s shot from the right wall over Luukkonen at 14:07.
–Field Level Media
